Carnival Corporation is currently the world's largest passenger shipping company. This scale allows Carnival to offer some of the lowest price points in the industry. This aligns with their family fun persona and youth focused features and activities to offer affordable family vacation experiences.
Carnival itineraries primarily focus on Caribbean and Mexico destinations with Alaska, Australia, and Europe sailings also available.
Carnival sails from 8 different US ports including Long Beach, Baltimore, New Orleans and Charleston in addition to the more common ports of Miami, Port Canaveral, Galveston and Tampa
Royal Caribbean is the second largest cruise line and boasts some of the largest and most popular ships for young adults, kids, and teens. . Icon of the Seas began sailing in early 2024 as the world's largest cruise ship.
Royal Caribbean has itineraries in Europe, Caribbean (including Cuba!), Alaska, Asia, and Australia. Royal also launched their first ever world cruise. The Ultimate World Cruise launched in December of 2023.
US home ports include Miami, Port Canaveral, Tamps, Baltimore, New Jersey, Galveston, Los Angeles, and Seattle for seasonal Alaska sailings.
Celebrity is a medium-priced luxury cruise offering whose products and services are associated with top-hotel amenities, premium services, sophistication, style, elegance, technology innovations. Celebrity cruise liners offer impeccable service and exquisite cuisine, appealing to moderately affluent, well-educated travelers (mostly adults in their 40s). Celebrity offers "Family Cruises" during holidays (particularly on voyages from the USA to the Caribbean and Bermuda) and "Seniors Cruises" (on European and South American itineraries). The letter "X" on ships' funnels stands for the name "Chandris" (in Greek "Xandris").
Destinations include Alaska, Canada, Hawaii, Bermuda, Bahamas, Caribbean (all, but mostly Southern), Mexico (Caribbean/Yucatan, Pacific/Mexican Riviera), Panama Canal, South America (including Galapagos Islands), Australia-New Zealand, Asia (Taiwan-China-Japan, Thailand-Vietnam), Northern Europe (from the UK), Eastern and Western Mediterranean.
Famous and commonly known as "the Love Boat cruise line" for the late 70's TV series where filming occurred on Princess-owned ships cruising to exotic destinations around the world.
Destinations include Alaska, Europe-UK, the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, South America and Pacific Islands (Hawaii and Tahiti), Asia, Australia-New Zealand, Canada-New England.
Princess Alaska 2024 season features 7 ships, 158 departures (14 itineraries), 17 ports/destinations (including 5 glacier viewing experiences), 4 homeports (Vancouver, Anchorage/Whittier AK, Seattle WA, San Francisco CA), 86 Glacier Bay NP visits.
Princess features Alaskan cruisetours (adding a land component before or after a sailing), including Denali Explorer, On Your Own, Connoisseur Deluxe Escorted, and Off the Beaten Path. The Direct-to-the-Wilderness rail service ensures a seamless transition between the ship in Whittier and the Denali area on the same day. Two Alaskan lodges (Mt McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, and Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge) provide unique perspectives for experiencing North America's tallest mountain.
Holland America is one of the cruise brands rated "best for couples", "best for adults" and "best and cheapest for Alaska". Their ships visit 300+ seaports in 100+ countries, with 500+ traditional and Transoceanic itineraries scheduled annually. Voyages' lengths range from 2-day to 110+ days for world cruises (and Pole to Pole itineraries), but the majority are 7-day roundtrips, and many are between 10-21 days (including the ability to tie select itineraries together). In 2023, voyages leaving from the USA (FL, CA, MA, WA) visited 225 ports in 91 countries.
Holland America acquired the Westmark hotel chain in the Alaska-Yukon region positioning them as a prominent brand in the Alaskan cruisetour market, offering the most diverse and cheap "land and sea" Alaska travel packages.
NCL-Norwegian represents one of the world's top 5 major lines (following Carnival, Royal Caribbean, MSC). It is best known for its revolutionary "Freestyle Cruising" (trademarked) concept signifying no fixed dining times or seatings, and no formal dress code required fleetwide.
The list of NCL's destinations includes all the world's most popular ship travel regions - Alaska and Hawaii, Europe (including UK itineraries), Bahamas-Caribbean and Bermuda, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
Pride of America is the largest US-flagged passenger ship. It is homeported in Honolulu for year-round roundtrips to the Hawaiian Islands. In 2023, NCL had its ever-biggest Europe-Mediterranean itinerary program by deploying 10 ships in the region.
Since 2023, Norwegian Pearl also serves NCLH's new brand Experiences At Sea (partnership between "Sixthman Festivals at Sea" and NCL’s CM&I division/Charters, Meetings & Incentives). Annually are scheduled several themed itineraries targeting corporate clients as well as incentive and affinity-focused customers from NCLH's fleet. Experiences At Sea cruises are usually themed on music (Rock, Country, Pop, Blues, Broadway celebrity performances, etc), also LGTBQIA+/Atlantis Events, Comedy Influencers, Sports, and others. The itineraries are in the Caribbean (roundtrips from Miami) and all visit NCLH's private islands - The Bahamas' Great Stirrup Cay, and Belize's Harvest Caye.
MSC Crociere is the world's largest privately-owned cruise company and 3rd-largest cruise line.
Most of MSC's fleet operates in Europe (Mediterranean and Baltic). Their other strong markets are the Caribbean, Canada New England, East Asia, South America, South Africa. Because of the international passenger base, all shipboard announcements are generally read in Italian, Spanish, French, German and English. Onboard mealtimes are fixed, with assigned seatmates. Optional dining includes Lido buffet restaurant, sushi, and Italian eateries.
MSC liners offer standout evening show entertainment - from classical concerts and jazz to contemporary dance music and circus-type acrobatics. Voyages are typically priced at value-oriented levels, but the liners offer an unprecedented range of modern vacation travel amenities and services that cost extra, such as fees for port shuttle buses, a la carte restaurant menus, etc.
Disney, of course, would be received as among the best family lines, with the most family-friendly cruise ships, and some of the most attractive all-inclusive family cruise packages, The company is the world's leader in family cruising. "Disney World land and sea" packages are industry's best kids cruise deals for the Caribbean, operated with signature land resorts and large and modern liners.
Disney Cruise Line is a unique enterprise designed to provide the industry's best family ship travel vacation experiences. Disney offers regular departures from Florida to Eastern Caribbean (mostly to the Bahamas) from its own cruise terminal at Port Canaveral - just a few minutes away from Disney's capital city Orlando and world's best Disneyland Park. Among the special voyages are the Alaskan itineraries (leaving from Seattle and Vancouver Canada) during the Disney summer and the Panama Canal transition cruises on repositioning between Alaska and Caribbean.
All Disney ships are family-friendly. Each boat features a Walt Disney Theater (resembling Broadway house) and Buena Vista Cinema (for Disney movies). Studio Sea (TV sound stage and forum for G-rated live shows) is available on Magic and Wonder. Similar venue (named "D Lounge") is on Fantasy and Dream. "Disney Digital 3-D" (on Magic and Wonder) is a cinema experience with lasers, streamers, fog and lighting effects.
The main swimming pool areas on all Disney boats are geared toward families. There is a pool for kids (with 200-ft Mickey waterslide) and small sprinkler tub for toddlers. Adult-only pools are also fleetwide feature, though on the larger ships they encompass several decks.
Virgin Voyages is a small (only 4 ships) boutique cruise line that's making big waves in the industry. Virgin took home 2023 Cruiser's Choice Cruise Critic awards for Best Overall Cruise Line, Best Dining, Best Cabins, Best Service and Best Value-For-Money.
A break from cruise norms, Virgin's 'Lady' ships have no main dining rooms, no buffets, no add-on packages for drinks, wifi, specialty dining, entertainment, fitness classes, and no kids. Virgin is an adults only (18+) cruise line. Gratuities are also included in your cabin fare.
Alcoholic beverages are extra. However instead of traditional package offerings, Virgin has 'Bar-tabs' where individuals can prepurchase drinks in $100 increments. Virgin may kick in extra $$ on bar tab purchases as well. Starter tabs are often included in promotional offers. Shop Virgin Voyages here